Sports

The Buffalo Bills will buck a new league trend by continuing to mandate that Ralph Wilson Stadium be sold out before allowing the region to watch broadcasts of home games.

The NFL is now allowing its franchises to follow an eased blackout policy requiring at least 85 percent of stadium seats to be sold to lift the blackout. But the Bills say the change doesn't make financial sense for the small-market team.

The Buffalo Sabres will be honoring the famed French Connection line of the 1970s with a statue outside First Niagara Center.

Sabres president Ted Black stood outside the arena Thursday to announce that a 10-foot bronze statue of the renowned trio -- Gilbert Perreault, Rene Robert, and Rick Martin -- will be part of a larger, newly-renamed Alumni Plaza.

Buffalo Sabres play-by-play announcer Rick Jeanneret will be in the broadcast booth for all 82 games next season. That's a change from the past few seasons, where the veteran broadcaster took a reduced role behind the microphone, calling fewer games.

Jeanneret signed a new, multi-year contract with the team earlier this month.

Olcott Beach in the Town of Newfane and Hastings, Ontario have become fishing meccas over the years. Now, both communities want to take it a step further by securing the title of Ultimate Fishing Town, an honor bestowed by the Canada-based World Fishing Television Network.

To win the title, Olcott and Hastings have to finish number one in online balloting. So far, the two communities are way ahead of the competition. Communities that finish first in the balloting can each win $25,000.

The University at Buffalo introduced Daniel White as its new director of athletics today. White succeeds Warde Manuel, who left UB in February to take the AD job at the University of Connecticut.

White, 32, is a native of New Orleans who played basketball at Notre Dame. He comes to UB from The University of Mississippi, where he is Executive Director of the school's fundraising arm. He has previously worked as a coach and administrator at Ohio University and Fresno State.

The Buffalo Sabres have announced that starting this fall, smoking will no longer be allowed on First Niagara Center property.

Designated smoking areas outside the arena will become a thing of the past as of September 1. Fans will not be able to smoke on arena grounds during any games or events. The team says the change in policy comes at the request of fans and reflects similar trends at the sporting venues across the country.

Forty of America's best young hockey talent will have the opportunity to display their skills on the ice in Buffalo early next fall.

First Niagara Center has been chosen as the venue for the first-ever All American Hockey Prospects Game on September 29. The announcement was made at the arena Monday afternoon by Dave Ogrean, Executive Director of Colorado-based USA Hockey.

"It is a real showcase of stars for the future, some of whom may very well end up wearing Sabre uniforms at some time," Ogrean said.

Buffalo Sabres President Ted Black says the team is already looking ahead on how to rebound from this year's disappointing finish. And he adds those plans include moving forward with both general manager Darcy Regier and coach Lindy Ruff.

As difficult as it was on the franchise to miss the playoffs, Black told the Associated Press by phone that there's ``no time to wallow in misery.'' He says the team will continue the aggressive approach in adding players it established last offseason, its first under new owner Terry Pegula.

Former Buffalo Bills head coach Gregg Williams has been place on indefinite suspension by the National Football League for his participation in a bounty program while he served as a defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints.

The NFL announced the penalties Wednesday. New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton will be suspended for one season without pay for his involvement in the team’s bounty program.

The Buffalo Bills have landed one of the biggest prizes on the NFL free agent market, agreeing to terms with defensive end Mario Williams.

Williams has been in Buffalo since the free agency period began on Tuesday. ESPN reports the deal is for six years and up to $100 million, with $50 million guaranteed. The guaranteed money is the most for a defensive player in NFL history and the deal is the biggest overall contract in team history.

Thousands of Buffalo Sabres fans who would normally enjoy their favorite hockey team at home on TV were forced to make other plans, watch the game elsewhere, or miss it entirely.

These are the thousands of Time Warner Cable subscribers whose access to MSG Network is blacked out as the cable provider and netwotk that carries Sabres games (along with several metro New York pro sports teams) remained at odds over a new deal.